The plea agreement – which spared two victims from the trauma of testifying in court – called for Dalton to plead guilty to two counts of molesting, a Level 4 felony carrying a standard six-year sentence.

Three other related charges, and four counts stemming from Dalton’s alleged sexual abuse of a 15-year-old girl, were dismissed.

The Muncie man was convicted of two counts of child molesting in Henry County in 1999, and sexual misconduct with a minor in Wayne County in 1996.

A co-defendant in the most recent cases – Suellen J. Davis, 40, of Muncie – is scheduled to twice stand trial in Dowling’s court in April.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.